20th Sunday in Ordinary Time – August 14, 2016

In today’s gospel Jesus says “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing.” Later he says “Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter…”

The two preceding readings deal with the sinful behaviors of men and failure to conform to God’s teachings. Poor Jeremiah is tossed into a cistern, and Paul reminds us of the opposition Jesus faced from sinners.

Fr. Luis said it is hard to hear these words and we might well ask what happened to the peace and love message of the Christian faith? But Fr. Luis points out that most of us live in a state of cold war in our families and social connections. We have tension and conflict, which when allowed to fester without confrontation produces depression and stress. We simply cannot capitulate to the norm of sinfulness, but each day, guided by contemplative prayer, we must strive to correct wrongdoers, including ourselves.

While this is a somewhat daunting thought and does not produce a “feel good” moment, Fr. Luis reminds us that our struggles pale in comparison to those of Christians in the middle east and in parts of Africa who face loss of life merely for being Christian. Some of the oldest Christian communities are being annihilated, and fiery opposition is indeed appropriate.

Music Ministry:

I WILL CHOOSE CHRIST

NOTICE: There will be no week day masses from Aug. 15 thru Aug 30.

St. Elizabeth’s Guild Coffee Pastries and Savories are served after the 9:00 AM mass in the outdoor church from July 4th thru Labor Day.

We have had requests for recipes and resources and here are a few recently served items:

Croissants: Our delicious croissants are shipped from France via the TV shopping network QVC. You can purchase them on line at QVC We serve them with creme fraiche which we make by using a half pint of whipping cream and 2 tbls of plain yogurt or buttermilk. Leave the combined cream and yogurt or buttermilk at room temperature for 24 hours, then refrigerate. It will thicken until it is as thick as cream cheese. We start ours on the Tuesday before the week end. We cut the croissants in half and use 1 tbls of creme fraiche with fresh blackberries when in season. QVC also offers mini size croissants and chocolate versions of both sizes.

Salmon Salad on Puff Paste: We use Pepperidge Farm Puff Paste and you can make the puff paste in advance and freeze it. Each sheet is cut into 12 pieces, cutting along the 3 folds first, then cutting the sheet in half, then quarters. You will then slice each piece in half so you have two servings from each. The salmon salad should be made a day early as the flavors blend better, but it does not freeze well, the salmon becomes very mushy. We use a piece of salmon that is about 1.5 lbs and we make 24 servings from it. Poach the salmon for about 10 minutes in a steamer (check for doneness, salmon will turn pale pink when done, but do not overcook.) Add about 3 or 4 tablespoons of mayonaise (or to personal taste), chopped fresh dill (reserve some dill sprigs for decoration of the tops), about 1/4 large onion chopped, lemon juice from one lemon, and worcestershire sauce to taste, salt and pepper. Put a heaping tablespoon of the salmon salad on each piece of puff paste and serve on a paper cupcake or small napkin. Do not make more than a few hours in advance as the puff paste will get too soggy. Put little sprigs of fresh dill on top and serve.

Note: We have found that Atlantic farmed salmon actually works better than fresh wild salmon in this recipe, and is half the cost.